Nowadays it is possible to simultaneously take pictures by using both front and rear cameras of an electronic device and store the pictures as a single image. It is also possible to store such an image together with voice data received through a microphone equipped in the electronic device.
With a dramatic growth of technologies in the electronic component industry, the performance of a camera (e.g., a small camera module) embedded in a portable electronic device (e.g., a phone, a tablet, a small camera, etc.) is increasing. For example, an increase in the number of pixels, an adoption of an optical image stabilizer function, an improvement of a lens module, and the like allow a camera of the portable electronic device to obtain an enhanced image. Additionally, a growth of wireless communication system technologies makes it possible to share an image obtained by the portable electronic device with other persons. For example, the growth of wireless transmission technology allows more rapid transmission of high-quality images. For such reasons, the importance of a camera function in the portable electronic device becomes increased.
A remarkable growth of electronic component industry technologies allows a small-sized camera module equipped in the electronic device to obtain a high-quality image. However, due to limitations in optical characteristics of such a camera module, it is not easy to obtain an image having a lower depth of field than can be obtained in a large-sized camera module. This image with a lower depth of field may include an image having a narrow focused region. For example, if a subject is captured together with a background, the captured image may contain a less clear background image contrary to a clear subject image.
Since it is difficult for the small-sized camera module to obtain an image having a lower depth of field in comparison with the large-sized camera module due to physical limitations, a new technique to obtain an image having a lower depth of field through the small-sized camera module is required.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.